


Comparing Scars

by in_motu_proprio



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/F, Past Injuries, Scars, coming to terms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-28
Updated: 2017-01-28
Packaged: 2018-09-20 13:21:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9493313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/in_motu_proprio/pseuds/in_motu_proprio
Summary: Takes place a few months after the finale.  Peggy's starting to process through everything that's happened and is coming to the conclusion that she has same-sex attraction.  Peggy's back in LA and on a hot night she and Anna decide to take a swim.





	

“Close your eyes,” Anna told Peggy softly. “You have a bit of dirt.” Anna’s delicate fingertips brushed the flecks of dirt from Peggy’s cheek, smiling. “Ahhhh and now it’s smudged. One moment my dear.” Anna squeezed Peggy’s bicep encouragingly before stepping away to run the corner of her handkerchief along the outside of a pitcher of water sweating in the sweltering heat. 

“You really needn’t,” Peggy started, but Anna was back, gently wiping the smudge of dirt from her cheek. 

“Much better.” Anna smiled, a lock of auburn hair dusting her forehead. It wasn’t done up as formally as Anna typically had it. It was late in the evening and she’d taken it down for the day. Peggy was three drinks in and it seemed like a good idea to touch Anna’s hair. She managed to hold herself back, but Peggy could feel her fingers twitching. “It’s quite hot out here,” Anna turned around to pour them both glasses of water from the pitcher. “Will you be coming in soon, or do you plan to fight every dummy my Edwin has accumulated?” 

Anna turned and gently pressed the water into Peggy’s hand. Soft, thin fingers stroked along the back of Peggy’s hand as Anna stepped back to pick up her own glass of water. “Just trying to build my strength a bit,” Peggy told Anna as she sipped the water. 

“You mustn’t overdo,” Anna clucked gently. “Though you’ll do as you will. Perhaps you’ll rest a spell with me?” They were both still recovering from their injuries, though Anna’s were far more devastating. Somehow the thought of this woman unable to become a mother broke Peggy’s heart. Edwin wasn’t quite the same since Anna had been shot, quieter and more distant. Not with Anna of course, but Peggy felt the distance there. He was angry and rightfully so. 

“Of course. I was actually considering a swim.” The pool was lovely and the night was warm. A swim could be good. 

“Will you sleep tonight, Miss Carter?” Anna’s sweet voice floated across the distance between them, caressing Peggy’s ears. She’d nodded to the empty vodka glass on the bar. 

“With any luck,” Peggy smiled just a little, eyes betraying her with their clear exhaustion. 

“A swim would be good for that, I find it quite relaxing.” Anna sipped her water, trying not to look as warm as she clearly was. “I shall leave you to it.”

“You could join,” Peggy pointed out. She sincerely hoped Anna would, but also worried. Peggy was full of worry lately. Everything was catching up with her and despite being able to pull herself together when she needed to, she felt a mess. 

“I’d like that,” Anna smiled as she set her glass down. “Do give me a few minutes to change?” She politely excused herself and Peggy thought about how Anna would be removing her clothing any moment. Perhaps a swim wasn’t the best idea after all. Since she’d seen Angie in her hallucination, she’d been struggling with a difficult realization. While she did love Daniel deeply, she was attracted to other women. Between Dottie’s kiss at Griffith House and Angie appearing in her deepest mind, Peggy could read between the lines. Those glimpses, though, were nothing compared to the nightly dreams Peggy had been having about Anna Jarvis. 

Anna would come to Peggy at night, run her soft fingers through Peggy’s hair and layer her face with kisses. Peggy flushed at the thought of it and hurried to her own room to change. She couldn’t be indulging in these considerations right now. Peggy took a moment to carefully queue her hair back before making short work of her clothes and slipping on her suit. It was dark red, ruched crepe material that accentuated her hourglass figure. Peggy double checked herself and freshened her lipstick before heading back to the pool to wait for Anna.

And wait she did. Anna took more than a few minutes to change. In fact, when Peggy was still waiting fifteen minutes later, she got worried and headed inside. She couldn’t hear the crying but knew what she was going to find before she actually found it. Anna was sitting on the end of her bed holding her swimsuit with tears running down her face. She’d removed her shirt and skirt, leaving her in slip and bra, the livid scars on her stomach evident even across the room.

Peggy knocked softly on the doorframe and Anna jumped, quickly covering her scars with the throw on the end of the bed. “Peggy, I kept you waiting.” 

Anna stood, but Peggy shook her head. “Please, not on my account. May I?” She hadn’t actually entered Anna’s room yet. It was a private space after all. Anna nodded and Peggy came to sit next to her on the foot of the bed. The moment she sat, Anna wrapped her arms around Peggy and pulled her into a tight embrace. The throw was between them, but there was a lot of skin touching, arm against back, cheek-to-cheek. Peggy’s pulse was rushing and she felt a bit dizzy, but she wasn’t going to allow this to be dirty. Anna was a friend and she was desperately hurt. 

“I forget sometimes,” Anna said softly when she eventually pulled back. “I took out the two piece, thinking….” She got teary and Peggy struggled because she hadn’t a handkerchief with her. It wasn’t like she’d have anywhere to put it in this swimsuit. “Sometimes It’s as though it’s happened just yesterday.” 

“Trauma can be like that,” Peggy told Anna softly. “One moment you think you’ve got it managed then it pokes its nasty little head out at the most inopportune moment.” She reached out to take Anna’s small hand in both of hers, squeezing gently. “It takes time, but it fades little by little.” Anna did not look entirely encouraged by that. “Nothing like your injury has happened to me, but I did fight in a war.” She inclined her head to Anna just a little. “We both have.” Anna seemed appreciative of the recognition. “You know that horrors can dim over time.”

Anna nodded just a little, still sniffling. “I ache for Edwin,” she confessed softly. “He always wanted to be a father.” It seemed that Anna could bare the pain for herself, but the pain of taking fatherhood from Mr. Jarvis was simply too much. Peggy hugged her as she began to cry once more. Peggy held her for some time, wrapping the throw around Anna’s shoulders eventually since there was a bit of a chill from Howard’s air conditioners. “Oh,” Anna looked surprised when a shiver went through Peggy. “Oh, how dreadfully rude of me. You’re frozen.” Anna pulled off the blanket and put it around Peggy’s shoulders. “Perhaps you’d better swim without me. I’m afraid I’ll need to get a new bathing costume.” Anna looked terribly sad.

“Do you still want to swim,” Peggy asked. 

“I haven’t a bathing costume that covers…”

“You don’t _need_ to cover it,” Peggy pointed out quietly. “If you want to swim and you want to wear the suit…. bugger the scar.” Anna smiled at the curse. “If you want to swim in a shirt or nothing at all, do it. It’s only us here. Mr. Jarvis is with Howard. I have far too many scars of my own to judge anyone else’s.” Peggy felt like it was important that Anna start to understand that those scars made her no less than she’d been before. 

“You are quite right, Miss Carter.” Anna stood, wiping her tears away with a resolute nod. “I shall wear this and we shall swim tonight.” Peggy flushed as Anna clasped her on the shoulders and kissed each of her cheeks. “You are a wonder and a delight, Margaret Carter.” Anna leaned in, holding Peggy’s face in her small hands. “I am so grateful you came into my life.”


End file.
